The Flames recalled Corban Knight and Max Reinhart from the Abbostford Heat this morning.
Reinhart has suited up for the Flames in four games this season while Knight will play his first NHL game. The 23-year-old has had an outstanding rookie season with the Abbotsford Heat this season recording 14 goals and 37 points in 57 games.

The High River native will have a large contingent of friends and family in the stands at the Scotiabank Saddledome for his debut and admits he’s nervous and excited.

"Yeah I think we’ll get a good turn out tonight here from High River,” said Knight after the morning skate."

"Ever since I got the call yesterday a lot of memories have been going through my head and my family, they’re all going be here tonight so it’s going to be pretty special. I’m definitely looking forward to it."

Knight had just finished an afternoon game on Tuesday in Abbotsford when Heat coach Try G. Ward gave him the news that he’d been recalled by Calgary.

"Yesterday we played a game at 10:30 in the morning and after the game I was just eating the post-game meal and our captain came and got me and said the coach was looking for me—it’s usually never a good thing when the coach is looking for you—but then he told me the good news so I was pretty pumped."

The pivot has spent the better part of his first professional season working on his three-zone game, something the coaching staff addressed after the Flames training camp in September.

"Obviously you want to play in the NHL and get your shot but I knew that after training camp and talking to the coaches that there was some stuff I needed to work on,” said Knight. But I was pretty happy with my development in Abbotsford but I was just trying to be as patient as possible and work on what I needed to work on so defiantly when I got the call it was a relief."

DEADLINE DAY DISTRACTIONS

With all the hoopla surrounding the Flames, it’s easy to suggest the tilt against the Senators tonight is getting lost in the shuffle.

Pending UFA’s Mike Cammalleri, Chris Butler and Lee Stempniak all skated with the club this morning and it was business as usual for Bob Hartley’s squad.

The Flames coach said there’s nothing the coaching staff can do other than prepare for the game.

"This morning I did my lines. I always write my lines with a pencil so it’s easy to erase, even during a game,” quipped Hartley. “We know that there are still a few hours to go [until the NHL trade deadline] and you guys are watching and the phones are ringing."

The veterans that have been rumored to be shipped out of Calgary have all been through this before and Hartley reiterated that for them it’s nothing new.

"These days it’s always veterans that are being dealt and veterans for the most part have been dealt before so they understand it,” Hartley said. “We understand how this game goes and this is the deadline so it’s no surprise to anyone and we just have to go through it."

Cammalleri admitted there isn’t much he can do on a day like today.

"Its just business as usual. There’s nothing more to report other than obviously got the phone on with my agent," Cammalleri said.

"I’m going to go with pre-game lunch with the boys right now," he said. "We actually instituted a no phone rule at lunch earlier this season where we put the phones away and we enjoy the human interaction but today we’ve lifted the ban so the phones will all be on and we’ll get our updates that way."

ORTIO TO START

Joni Ortio will start tonight against the Senators, just his second NHL game. In his first start, he dropped a 2-0 decision to the LA Kings on February 27. turning aside 22 shots for a .917% save percentage.

INJURY UPDATE

Bob Hartley indicated that TJ Galiardi suffered an injury in the gym on Tuesday and said the forward would not be in the lineup tonight against Ottawa. It’s unclear what the nature of the injury is or how long Galiardi might be out for.

David Jones will also be sidelined for 3-4 weeks with an upper body injury from Monday’s contest in Minnesota.

QUOTABLE

"They’re all in front of the TV’s, they’re like a bunch of kids watching Barney. You can’t even get their attention." - Bob Hartley on what players do on trade deadline day.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

Last 10: Ottawa 5-4-1; Calgary 6-4-0

Season series:This is the first of two meetings between the Ottawa Senators (0-0-0) and the Calgary Flames (0-0-0). The return date comes back in Ottawa on March 30.

Big story: The NHL trade deadline looms today at 3pm ET. The Flames will be looking to end a two game lossing streak to the Senators. The Flames last win over Ottawa came on February 9th, 2011 when they took a 5-2 win in Calgary.

Calgary's All-time record vs. OTT: 15-11-4-1-0
All-time record OTT at CGY: 10-5-1-0-0
LAST TEN GAMES OTT VS CGY: 7-2-1-0
Ottawa has won the last two consecutive games, but Calgary has won three of the last five games. Calgary and Ottawa have gone to extra time on seven occassions with the Flames taking two wins, four ties and one loss.

LAST TEN GAMES OTT AT CGY: 6-4-0-0
The Flames have won five of the last six games over Ottawa at the Scotiabank Saddledome.